Highs expected to be in the 50s today through the extended forecast! :-D AAAAAAHHHHHH...now that's more like it! If I didn't have to be at work today I would be out by the pool soaking up the rays! 
I survived the Arctic Blast of '10...
- Thread starter Beez
- Start date
- Jan 21, 2009
- 562
- Pool Size
- 21000
- Surface
- Fiberglass
- Chlorine
- Salt Water Generator
- SWG Type
- Hayward Aqua Rite Pro (T-15)
I still have a good layer of ice on pool. Past day or so local news, Dallas, had pictures of people standing on the ice on their pools. When I did my partial close, the day before the big freeze, I didn't lower water below the skimmer so there was thicker ice in there. Poured hot (no boiling) water in it yesterday and over the two pool skims. (I did take the floating "hats" out of them.) Going to lower water today with submersible pump to winterize the skimmer properly. I think the weir door is okay; crossing fingers.
News says pool shops and services overwhelmed with calls. While news was reporting this I commented to DH how pool smart I am now that I visit TPF. He agreed. He's also stopped bugging me about spending so much time working on the pool. Of course there hasn't been much to do since I partially closed pool.
Enough ice that doggies still can't go out to back yard. They are the ones suffering the most.
We keep the house at about 64 in winter so the big furnace hardly ever comes on especially with all the heat generated from our electronics. We always spot heat a few areas though; portable oil heaters near He-she's, the snake, terrarium, DH's cold corner, and my computer corner when I'm there, ceramic heaters in bathroom and kitchen, and at garage wall, inside, near where the outside spigot is located. Also had plenty of 1 lb gas canisters and heaters ready, just in case. Last night of freezing we forgot to open the cabinet doors in kitchen, at sink, and didn't let the faucet run so it froze slightly but a few minutes of hair dryer thawed that. The kitchen sink, on north wall, has a spigot directly outside, through the wall, that was dripping so that probably saved the pipe. Our city water supply pipes are only about 6"-8" underground so we always run water somewhere during longish freezes. Yesterday was beautiful and sunny, 50 F. For the next week we will be having normal Texas weather.
I'm going to set the new, ver 2 Beta SolarBreeze, top skimmer, outside today to start charging so I can plop it in the pool when the ice thaws. It's been hard waiting to use it.
gg=alice
News says pool shops and services overwhelmed with calls. While news was reporting this I commented to DH how pool smart I am now that I visit TPF. He agreed. He's also stopped bugging me about spending so much time working on the pool. Of course there hasn't been much to do since I partially closed pool.
Enough ice that doggies still can't go out to back yard. They are the ones suffering the most.
We keep the house at about 64 in winter so the big furnace hardly ever comes on especially with all the heat generated from our electronics. We always spot heat a few areas though; portable oil heaters near He-she's, the snake, terrarium, DH's cold corner, and my computer corner when I'm there, ceramic heaters in bathroom and kitchen, and at garage wall, inside, near where the outside spigot is located. Also had plenty of 1 lb gas canisters and heaters ready, just in case. Last night of freezing we forgot to open the cabinet doors in kitchen, at sink, and didn't let the faucet run so it froze slightly but a few minutes of hair dryer thawed that. The kitchen sink, on north wall, has a spigot directly outside, through the wall, that was dripping so that probably saved the pipe. Our city water supply pipes are only about 6"-8" underground so we always run water somewhere during longish freezes. Yesterday was beautiful and sunny, 50 F. For the next week we will be having normal Texas weather.
I'm going to set the new, ver 2 Beta SolarBreeze, top skimmer, outside today to start charging so I can plop it in the pool when the ice thaws.
It's been hard waiting to use it.gg=alice
Ouch! Glad we don't see that kind of winter scene down here! I'm not much for winter precip...orthofish said:Congrats BeezWe're still trying to survive here in Tennessee
:sun:
geekgranny said:
Whoa, good thing you took the necessary precautions!I guess the heat island effect protected me up here in Richardson. As long as my pump runs I don't get any ice formation anywhere in the pool. I left it off last night and woke up to a very thin layer of ice in the spa and shallow end of the pool, but nothing to worry about.
Hopefully, this cold snap will end soon for you folks out east. We seem to be back to normal around here... :-D
I hadn't planned on closing the pool at all but just running pumps. With my old filter screwing up I could only get about 24 hours run time between backwashings so I was "forced" to partially close. We've been here 23 year and been through at least two of the Big Freezes, years back. The year the temps went down below 0 F, hovering for a few days, with pumps running, I still had some freeze damage. Before, when I was using the Nature 2, commercial vessel, I lost three to freezing, during not so bad winters, even with pumps running. Of course, going BBB (sans Borax in pool) I don't have that problem any more.Beez said:
Yes, the good old micro-climate thing. I don't think we got much below freezing last night but our micro climate is probably warmer due to very little concrete around and we had no wind. The ground stays warmer than concrete and it was certainly warmed up with yesterday's SUNSHINE. :-D I have some potted semi-tropicals on south side of house that have made it through 3 winters being lain on their sides but not wrapped. They have gotten too big to bring in any more so I covered them with layers of frost cloth for this FREEZE. I think they made it through.Beez said:
Beez said:
Let's send warm thought to our friends who aren't as lucky as we. :-D
gg=alice
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